Understanding Snippy
by Bent137
Summary: Rory is back at Yale, with a new roommate, Joan Girardi. When Joan confides to Rory that she talks to God, unexpected surprises abound. : [Crossover with Joan of Arcadia] : [InProgress]
1. The Big One Too

Title: Understanding Snippy

Author: Bent137

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Gilmore Girls or Joan of Arcadia

Summary: When God asks Joan to go to Yale, she meets Rory Gilmore. When being God's vessel becomes too much for Joan on top of going to school at the prestigious Ivy League college she confides in Rory, and gets an unexpected response.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter One: The Big One Too

"Joan," called Joan Girardi's mother, Helen, from downstairs. "You've got some mail."

In her bedroom Joan smiled. She loved getting mail. Maybe it was a postcard from her boyfriend Adam Rove, he'd gone to check out an art school in New York and had promised to send her a post card from the Big Apple. She and Adam had been through a lot early on in their relationship. They had just become friends, and Joan was blind to Adam's deeper feelings towards her, when a series of events out of her control drove Adam away from her. He'd finally forgiven her though, and she'd realized that he wasn't the only one with feelings that were more that friendly.

See, Joan talks to God. I know that doesn't sound very strange, a lot of people talk to god. It's just, in Joan's case, God talks back. God appears to her in different human forms, giving her tasks. It was these tasks that had driven the first wedge between her and Adam. No one knows Joan talks to God except for herself and God. Not even Adam knows.

"I didn't know you applied to Yale," Helen Girardi's voice floated up the stairs again.

Joan froze halfway off her bed. Yale. Yet another of God's tasks. First he'd challenged her to do better, a challenge she rose to. Then as her senior year was just beginning he told her to apply to Yale. She'd done it, not expecting to get in. She didn't even know what she would do if she got in. Her family didn't have the money for it. After her older brother Kevin's accident, which left him wheelchair bound, money in the Girardi household was pretty tight. Even though college wouldn't be too hard for the family, Kevin never went and is now a staff writer for the local newspaper, and her younger brother Luke would surely be able to get a scholarship. Joan didn't think that her parents could afford the likes of Yale on top of their normal expenses and Kevin's medical bills.

Joan walked slowly down the stairs to where her mother was waiting for her at the kitchen table. When Joan entered Helen looked up. "You applied to Yale," it wasn't a question. It was a statement, laced with disbelief.

"I didn't expect to get in or anything, it was just a dare."

"Someone dared you to apply to Yale."

"Yeah. I know we can't afford it, I mean I probably didn't get in anyways."

Helen cut her off, "I think you'd better read it first Joan. We can't make any decisions until we know for sure." Helen held up a large envelope. "I do however think that in this case bigger is better."

Joan cracked a smile and sat down at the table with her mom. She took the envelope from Helen and tried prying open an edge with her fingernail. Seeing her difficulty Helen got up and retrieved a letter opener from a pencil holder on the counter. Joan took it gratefully and slit the envelope open. Joan pulled out a paper and read it over quickly. She smiled and glanced at her mom.

"What?" Helen asked, a small smile forming on her face.

"Dear Miss Girardi," Joan began. "Thank you for your interest in Yale. We are pleased to tell you that you have been accepted as a freshman for our 2005 incoming class. Then it goes on to talk about tuition and registering for classes." Joan looked up at her mother.

Helen was beaming at her daughter, "I am so proud of you. I can't wait to tell your father."

"Tell dad what?" Luke asked as he came in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

"Joan got into Yale," Helen informed him, a hint of smugness in her proud voice.

"You're kidding." Luke's head came out of the fridge and he looked at Joan.

"I didn't expect to get in, but I did," Joan said sheepishly.

"That's great," Luke told his sister with a nod.

"It is?"

"Yeah, sure, it makes my chances a lot better doesn't it?"

Joan and Helen rolled their eyes.

*~*

Helen, Joan, Luke and Kevin were already seating themselves at the dinner table when Detective Will Girardi breezed in the back door. "I know," he said immediately, holding his hands up like one of the perps he and the other guys took down daily. "I'm late. I'm sorry, traffic was horrible tonight."

"It's fine," Helen assured him. "We were just sitting down."

Detective Girardi took his usual spot at the table and looked around at his family. "So, what happened with everyone today."

"Well, Joan has some exciting news for you," Helen informed him. The smug tone was back in her voice and she couldn't keep the smile off her face so she looked down, pretending to focus on her green beans as she stabbed on with a fork.

"She does?" Will looked at his daughter curiously.

"I do," Joan said. She didn't know how to continue so she coughed as she gathered her thoughts. "Uh, well," now she was just stalling for time. Perhaps blunt honesty was the way to go. "I got into Yale today, Dad."

Detective Girardi looked startled to say the least. He glanced at Helen then back at Joan with incredulity. "Yale? Ivy league, Connecticut, bulldogs Yale?" he questioned.

Joan looked confused. "Well, I don't know about bulldogs," she glanced at Kevin, whom nodded. "Yeah I guess, that Yale."

"You got in to Yale." Will sat back in his chair an amazed look on his face.

Joan frowned. "I have the letter, I'll show you the letter, after dinner."

"I would love to see the letter, I want to copy it and have it framed. You got into Yale!" He smiled and looked around the table locking eyes with Helen. "Our daughter got into Yale! Yale!" He shook his head and leaned back in his chair again. spearing a square of steak and bringing it to his mouth then chewing it thoughtfully. Helen exchanged a pleased and amused grin with her daughter.

*~*

Helen Girardi closed the closet doors and turned to where her husband was already comfortably on the bed. He was sitting reading some papers by his bedside lamp. "Tell me that is not work," she joked.

"It's not work," he responded.

"What is it now?" she asked.

He looked at her over the papers, "Actually it's Joan's Yale information."

"Oh," Helen said quietly. He went back to reading as she made her way over to the bed and lowered herself beside him. "So, why are you reading it?"

"I'm trying to figure out if we can afford to send her to Yale."

"Oh, and what's the verdict?"

"Well, we'd have to refinance and cut way down on our food spending, oh and cancel the internet and go back to basic cable, but we could do it."

"That bad?"

"That bad," he sighed and put the papers down. "I don't know, maybe we can just talk her into a different school."

Outside of the half open door Joan paused. She quickly ducked out of sight.

"We could try and talk her into a different school," Helen agreed. "However, I don't know about you but I'm really proud of her and would love to say my daughter goes to Yale.

Joan sighs and walks away from the door.

"I'm proud of her too," Will said. "I would rather she go to Yale than to a different college. We'll figure something out, maybe grants or scholarships, or something."

Helen nodded, "I'll start looking into it Monday at work. But for now, let's go to bed."

Will set the papers aside and turned of the lamp on his night stand.

*~*

Joan sighed and turned on her radio before sitting on her bed.

"I hope things go well for you Stephanie," the radio announcer said. "Now let's welcome our next caller, Joan from Arcadia." Joan looked over at the radio with a sigh. "What's on your mind tonight Joan?"

"Well, I got a letter today saying I'm accepted to Yale." Joan got up and approached the radio. She sat in front of it with her legs crossed.

"That's great Joan! Congratulations."

"Thanks. The problem is, my parents can't really afford it, at least, not without some major sacrifices on their part. So maybe I shouldn't go. Right?"

"Well, Joan, do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I was kind of roped into it. I didn't intend to apply to Yale, because I didn't think I'd get in."

"Well now you did, and maybe you should really think about if you want to go or not. Make a list of pros and cons of going to Yale. You could also get online and do some research, and maybe talk with some of the students already there and get their point of view of Yale."

"What if I decide I want to go? We can't afford it, I'd just be letting myself down."

"Well Joan. All I can tell you is to really consider going. And if you do decide you want to go, I'm sure you'll find a way to go. Maybe you could ask a guidance councilor for help. Or look up loans and grants on the internet."

"Maybe, thanks."

"No problem. Thanks for calling Joan. I hope whatever decision you make, it's the right one. Now let's hear from Scott in Washington."

Joan leaned over and shut off the radio.

"A pro and con list," she mused. "Sounds do-able."


	2. Information Packets

Title: Understanding Snippy

Author: Bent137

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Gilmore Girls or Joan of Arcadia

Summary: When God asks Joan to go to Yale, she meets Rory Gilmore. When being God's vessel becomes too much for Joan on top of going to school at the prestigious Ivy League college she confides in Rory, and gets an unexpected response.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Two: Information Packets

The phone was ringing as Rory Gilmore entered her suite at Yale. She struggled to shut the door with her foot, as her hands were full with a stack of books and a cup of coffee. She hurriedly dumped her books unceremoniously on the couch and snatched the cordless phone off the coffee table. "Hello?" she said breathlessly into the receiver.

"Hey, what's up?" her mother's voice came back through the phone.

Rory smiled, it was good to hear her mother's voice. Lorelai Gilmore had raised her daughter Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore on her own, and as a result they were best friends. Rory's departure for college three years ago had effected them harshly despite Lorelai only living an hour away. Rory had just seen her mother the weekend prior, but it seemed as if they'd been apart for months. "I just got back from class."

"Well then I guess I caught you at a good time. What else do you have planned today?"

"Well I need to leave in about 15 minutes to sign up as a tour guide. Then I was thinking about some sort of food."

"A tour guide?"

"Yeah, giving tour's of Yale to prospective students and their parents. That season is upon us, and I need to do that before I can become a freshman councilor for next fall."

"Oh, okay. Are you still coming this weekend?"

Rory used to go to Stars Hollow, the town where she grew up, every weekend, back when she was required to attend Friday Night Dinners at her grandparents in return for the loan they gave her to get into Yale. Rory had gotten a good internship the previous and had managed to repay them so she was no longer obligated to go. She'd gotten financial aid for this year and a partial scholarship for her journalism skills. She still went once a month to catch up with the grandparents she loved, but now her weekends were freed for her mom, her friends at Yale, and her studies. "Yeah, I wouldn't miss it. How is everyone?"

"Everyone's great. You should hear about Kirk's latest job though."

Rory smiled and settled into the couch for a story of the zany antics of the citizens of Stars Hollow.

*

Joan was sitting at the Girardi family computer searching the internet for ideas on how to get financial aid for Yale when her mother came home. "I'm home," Helen called.

"In here," Joan responded.

Helen appeared in the doorway to the living room, "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for information on financial aid for Yale."

"Really?" Joan looked up at her mother. "I did too, at work, I have some stuff in the kitchen for us to look at and fill out."

"Great," Joan smiled at her mother.

"Mr. Greenich also recommended we go on a trip to visit Yale before commiting."

"Yeah I'd been thinking about that," Joan admitted.

"Have you found any information on tours on their site?"

"Yeah," Joan picks up a notebook. "The next one is in two weeks."

"Alright, we'll talk to your father tonight about going and seeing the campus."

"Okay." Joan smiled at her mother who smiled back. "I'm excited," she admitted.

"Me too," Helen confessed.

*

Joan flipped over the flap on her duffle bag and tried to zip it. It wouldn't close. "Come on," she groaned. She stamped her foot on the ground, frustrated, and swiped at the bag. "You have to fit! I need all this stuff!"

She flipped the flap back up and took out two shirts and a book. She slid the book back into the bag, then pulled it back out. She folded the two shirts and placed them in the bag one on top of the other. She set the book on top of a pair of jeans next to the two shirts.

She flipped the flap back down and tried the zipper again. It still didn't work. "Argh!" she exclaimed.

Helen Girardi appeared in her daughter's doorway, "Are you almost ready? Your father would like to leave in five minutes."

"Well," Joan said, "I would be ready if I could get my stupid bag to zip."

Helen stepped farther into the room, "Let me see."

Joan stepped away from the bed and gestured to her bag, "Go for it."

Helen walked over and lifted the flap off. She took out the book and the top shirt of the two Joan had put in. She put the shirt where the book had been then slid the book down the side of the bag between the bag and Joan's clothes.

She pulled the flap back over and tried the zipper. It moved a few inches then stopped. "Come here," she said to Joan. Joan walked over. "Squeeze the two sides together in the center." Joan did as her mother had asked and Helen zipped up the bag with ease. "There." She smiled triumphantly.

Joan smiled too, "Thanks Mom."

"No problem. Your grandmother used to do that for me," Helen smiled wistfully remembering. "Now come on before your dad sends out a search party."

Joan grins at the joke and grabs her duffel bag off the bed and her backpack of the floor then follows her mother out the door.


	3. Friends and Lovers

Title: Understanding Snippy

Author: Bent137

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Gilmore Girls or Joan of Arcadia

Summary: When God asks Joan to go to Yale, she meets Rory Gilmore. When being God's vessel becomes too much for Joan on top of going to school at the prestigious Ivy League college she confides in Rory, and gets an unexpected response.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Three: Friends and Lovers

Rory sat across from Paris in the cafeteria. They were eating breakfast, a bagel and oatmeal for Paris, Pancakes and eggs for Rory. "Does your food taste different?" Rory asked Paris.

Paris looked confused for a moment. She looked down at her breakfast then back at Rory, "No, not really, why?"

"Mine tastes different."

"Bad."

"No, better actually. I wonder if they have a new cook," Rory mused.

Paris shrugged, "Maybe. What are you doing today?"

"Well, I have breakfast with you, then a class, then I need to go to the library and study for an exam. I'm meeting Chris for lunch, and then I have to play tour guide to some possible freshmen. I have another class this afternoon, and then dinner and I need to write that article for the newspaper."

"Do you have time to read over my article?" Paris asked, lifting a spoonful of oatmeal to her mouth.

Rory thought a moment, her schedule was busy, but it would be nice to have something to do in the down times, "I might, do you have a copy I can take with me?"

Paris nodded, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and pulled some papers out of her bag that was sitting on the floor. "Here, it's a copy, not the original, so you can write on it."

"Great. I'll try and get to it between tasks. When I'm done I'll call you."

Paris gave Rory a grateful half smile, "Great. Thanks, Rory."

"No problem," Rory smiled back as she tucked the papers into her messenger bag. "So what are you doing today?"

Rory ate as she listened to Paris list the classes she needed to attend, and the teachers she needed to talk to.

*

By the time lunch rolled around Rory was sure she'd absorbed so much information in her studying that she lost some of her younger memories. So she had packed her books up and dropped them off at her dorm before leaving the campus with a sense of freedom and a well deserved reward. She arrived at the cafe where she and Chris had decided to meet early, so she got herself a cup of coffee and found a table. Once she'd settled into her seat she pulled out Paris' article to read while she waited for Chris.

She was half done when she saw someone sit across from her out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and smiled upon seeing her boyfriend's face. Chris and Rory had met the year before, at a Yale football game, and had become fast friends, finding their mutual love of The O.C. a guilty pleasure they could only share with the other.

She had noticed his looks, you'd have to be blind not to. While he didn't resemble Dean's Cookie Cutter, All American Boy, look, he didn't look like Jess' Rebel Without A Cause, New York City style either. The closest he resembled any male from Rory's life was actually Tristan. Though even so it wasn't that close. They both could be charmers when they wanted, and Chris had the same infuriating smirk, but it was less used.

That's where any comparison stops though. Tristan's short blonde crop is no where near Chris' silky, brown, messy hairstyle. One lock longer than the rest it would seem, as it was always hanging over one eye. Not as floppy as Dean, but close. Chris has gray eyes that change with the weather. Steel gray on overcast days, grayish-blue on sunny and bright days, greenish-gray when it rains. He also has a tendency to tug his right ear lobe when he's deep in thought, and rub the back of his neck when he's uncomfortable or nervous. When he's anxious he's like a child with ADD, eyes darting everywhere, his foot tapping up and down.

They had been getting along famously as friends, and both were happy. Then he had surprised Rory, asking her to a formal event the previous winter. Their eyes had been opened that night, and they realized they were falling in love, or as close to love as someone their age could get. They'd been together ever since.

"What are you reading?" Chris asked.

"An article of Paris', she wants me to check it out before she submits copy," Rory responded.

"Oh, so how has your day been?"

"Surprisingly well actually, I'm starving."

"Great, let's order then." He turned and signaled to the waitress who rapidly approached their table.

"What can I get you guys today?" the waitress asked.

"I'll take a club sandwich with curly fries and a pickle," Chris told the waitress. "Diet Coke to drink."

The waitress nodded and turned to Rory, "I'll have a double bacon cheeseburger special with extra curly fries instead of a salad, and a coffee refill."

"Got it," the waitress responded, scribbling furiously. "Be right back with your drinks."

The waitress walked away and Chris turned his attention back to Rory, "Are you nervous about this afternoon?"

"A little," Rory responds, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just hope they'll like me, and that they won't think I'm a nerd."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll do fine."

Rory smiles at him, "Thanks, that means a lot to me."

"I'll call you tonight to see how it went."

"I didn't expect anything less."

The waitress returns with a bottle of Diet Coke, which she sets in front of Chris, and a pot of coffee that she uses to refill Rory's mug.

*

The three Girardi's sat on a bench in a peaceful looking courtyard area on the Yale campus, Joan sandwiched between her parents. A half dozen more teenagers milled around while their parents sipped coffee from the vendor a few feet away. Helen glanced at her watch, "Five minutes," she announced looking around. Trying to guess who their guide would be. Her eyes passed over two boys on bikes, and a dark haired girl running down the path with a two books in one arm, and her bag slung over the other. Helen then spotted a woman with neat dark hair pulled up into a french twist striding down the walkway, her briefcase banging against her knee. "I bet that's our guide."

"Who?" Will asked.

"Her," Helen subtly pointed the woman out to him and Joan.

"Maybe," Will said.

"No," Joan said. "It's not."

"Well how do you know?" Helen asked.

"Because the guide's not going to be," Joan was cut off in mid-sentence by a voice.

"Sorry I'm late," Rory Gilmore said as she jogged into the area.

"A teacher," Joan finished.

Helen looked to the girl who spoke, the same girl she had noticed running down the path and dismissed as a student late for class. On the other side of the courtyard a blonde haired woman glanced at her watch and then looked up at the young woman, who has continued at a brisk walk over to the coffee vendor. "Nonsense, you're two minutes early by my watch," the woman said.

"Good," Rory said. "That'll give me a chance to pay for my coffee." Rory dug in her bag and pulled out three dollars, she handed them to the boy behind the cart. "Thank you, Jon."

"No problem, Rory."

Rory walked back to the middle of the group, "Okay so I am going to be your tour guide. My name is Lorelai Gilmore, but everyone calls me Rory, Lorelai is my mother. I'm a junior here at Yale and as you probably guessed by my intimate acquaintance with Jon, I have a love affair with coffee. This will be my first group, so that makes you all very special. I hope I do good and don't screw this up, but be patient with me. Now if you'll all gather your things and group together here next to this monument of Dan we'll head out."

Rory stuffs her books into her bag as Joan and her parents walk up to her. Rory looks up and smiles. "Hi, I'm Joan," Joan says, holding out a hand.

"Rory," Rory replies, shaking her hand, "but you already knew that."

"Your mother named you after herself?" Helen questioned.

"Yeah, she was whacked out on Demerol," Rory replied. Joan and Helen laughed. "Let's go guys. First stop, the admissions building, I suggest getting acquainted with it, you'll be there often in your first month." Rory headed down the path she came up and the group followed her.


	4. Pros and Cons

Title: Understanding Snippy

Author: Bent137

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Gilmore Girls or Joan of Arcadia

Summary: When God asks Joan to go to Yale, she meets Rory Gilmore. When being God's vessel becomes too much for Joan on top of going to school at the prestigious Ivy League college she confides in Rory, and gets an unexpected response.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Four: Pros and Cons

Rory stopped at the edge of the visitors parking lot and turned to the tour group. "That concludes our tour. Hopefully you became more familiar with Yale's campus and it's history, and it helped you in decide if Yale is the right choice for you. Have a wonderful evening. If you have any questions, I'll be sticking around here for about ten minutes."

All of the families but the Girardi's and one other family head into the parking lot. The other family, with a son, walk up to Rory and begin conversing with her as the Girardi's hang back.

Helen turned to Joan and asks, "So, what do you think?"

Joan responded, "I'm impressed, but I don't know yet. I'd like to talk to Rory a little more, and think about it some."

"Sounds reasonable," Will told his daughter.

Joan approached Rory as the other family walked away.

"Um, hi," Joan said to Rory.

"Hi," Rory said back, she furrowed her brow, "Joan, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. Joan."

"Did you have some questions?"

"I guess," Joan said. "I really don't know what to ask I guess I'd just like to know more about real life here. I never even thought of going to Yale, someone else kind of, dared me into applying."

"Well, they obviously thought highly of you."

"Yeah, I never expected to get in but I did, and now that it's a real possibility I think I should know more before I make a decision."

"That's a good idea. I think you would like it here. All my life I wanted to go to Harvard, but my grandparents pushed me into applying to more than just Harvard. I got accepted to both Harvard and Yale, but after visiting both campus' I chose Yale. I still love Harvard, it's a great school, but Yale felt more like home. Maybe it's because my grandfather is an alumni, but it felt right."

"It just felt right?"

"Sure, I didn't realize it at first of course, but it did. I ended up making a pro-con list and realized the only thing Harvard had going for it that Yale didn't was that it was Harvard, and I'd wanted it for as long as I could remember. My mom even has an anecdote about using a Harvard sweatshirt as a diaper once. Yale was for me though, and I love the people here, most of them are really nice, and the professors are pretty easy to get along with. You see horror stories in movies but they're not all that mean. Infact, most aren't. And I had a friend who ended up coming here too."

"Oh."

"Listen," Rory said, "I suggest you sleep on it tonight, try and think about it tomorrow, then sleep on it again, then make a decision. In your heart you will know by then. If you want to talk more between then and now here's my screen name." Rory ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook and wrote on it then handed it to Joan. "AOL," she clarified with a smile.

"Thanks," Joan put the paper in her pocket. "You've really been helpful."

"No problem, have a nice night."

Joan and Rory smiled at each other before Joan joined her parents and they went in different directions.

Rory shut the door behind her and tossed her bag on her bed. "I am so tired," she groaned aloud.

"Long day?" Paris asked.

"You could say that."

"Did you get a chance to read my article?"

"Actually, yes, I did," Rory lay down on her bed next to her bag.

"And?" Paris got off of her bed and walked over, shoving Rory's legs aside and sitting down.

"It was really good Paris."

"Really? Just good? Not great?"

"It wasn't just good it was really good. Actually really really good, and I don't think that such a depressing topic can be great."

"Everything can be great."

Rory looked at her roommate, "Paris, it was on the new date rape drug, it's effects, and recent victims here at Yale."

"Okay," Paris shrugged and tilted her head, "So, not the best topic, but the writing, was it great?"

"Yes, the writing was great. A perfect amount of anger mixed with facts to arm students with so it doesn't happen to them."

"Great, thanks Gilmore."

"No problem Paris."

Paris got up and wandered across the room picking up a book off a bookshelf. "So, how was lunch with Chris? How is Chris?"

"Chris is good, lunch was good, he was a little late though. That's when I read your article."

"Are you guys still going to the movies this weekend?"

"As far as I know why?"

"I was just, wondering, I mean maybe, no never mind."

Rory sat up, "What? You can't just not tell me!"

"Well, there's this guy in my Foreign Policies class, I was going to ask him out."

"And you want to double date?"

"Well yeah, I mean after Jamie and then Asher and now, I think I'm ready, but I don't know, I'm nervous." Paris wrung her hands together and sat at the end of her bed.

"Anyone would be nervous when their last serious relationship ended with a heart attack," Rory stood up, walked over and sat next to Paris. "It's perfectly normal Paris, and I'm really proud of you for taking your time to work through it and if you think you're ready but you're scared then Chris and I would love to double with you." Rory stopped and looked at Paris, "Wait, you're not asking out the professor are you?"

"God no, I could never do that to myself again. He's actually a teachers aid, he's 23."

"Well that's nice, what's his name?"

"His name is Todd. Such a jock name I know, but he's not really, I mean yes he does play sports but it's not all he thinks about, he's quite smart." Paris smiled and Rory smiled with her.

"That's good, it's good to have a variety of interests."

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"I'll ask Chris about the movies this weekend and let you know okay?"

"Sure, that'd be great."

After dinner, the night after her trip to Yale, Joan went to her room, shut the door behind her, and sat at her desk. She sighed, thinking about all Rory had said to her. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and drew a line down the middle of the paper. On one side, in large letters she wrote "Pro's" on the other side she wrote "Con's." She tapped the pen against her chin as she thought. Finally under pro's she wrote "Ivy League," "Possible Friend in Rory," "Not too far from New York City." She moved her pen to the Con's side "Far from family," and "May be far from Adam and Grace," joined that side. She sighed and added "Far from family" on the pros side as well. She stopped and thought some more, but nothing was coming to her, she needed noise, it was far too quiet in her room. She grabbed her remote and flicked on the TV to a Friends rerun. That was much better.

She went back to staring at her list. What was good about Yale? Aside from it being impressive. 'Well, the students all seemed friendly and rather normal,' she thought to herself. "Students seem nice" went in pros. 'What about the teachers?' a tiny voice in her head asked. The tiny voice sounded remarkably like god when she was a little girl. During the tour Rory had introduced them to a couple of professors they'd seen wandering the campus. They'd seemed nice too. As did the one that was teaching a lecture they sat in on for a few moments. The lecture hall was smaller than she expected too, more personal, and it was fun and interesting. "Nice professors" and "Lectures seem more personal" went under pros as well.

On paper the pros were definitely outweighing the cons, but in Joan's mind and heart the cons were the ones winning, she'd really miss her family and friends and Adam. "Don't let that sway you, Joan," a voice said from behind her.

She turned and spied the TV, now on a commercial. The man in the commercial smiles a fake smile at her. "Remember, I do things for a reason."

"Yes, well if I'm not mistaken there's still that whole free will thing," Joan retorted.

"Yes, and sometimes I wonder if I should have done that, but I have faith in you Joan. You'll make the right choice eventually. You just need to do your research first."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't make a hasty decision, Joan. Ask around."

"Ask who?"

"Your parents, Adam, Rory, anyone Joan, everyone has opinions, I made sure of that. Time's up." The man waves just before the commercial switches to an ad for McDonald's.

"Ask around," Joan muses. "He knows something I don't. Well yeah of course he does, he's god."

"Honey?" Helen Girardi questioned from the door.

"Mom!"

"Were you talking to yourself."

"Kind of, it's nothing."

"Oh okay," Helen started to walk away.

"Ask around," Joan whispered to herself. "Hey mom?"

Helen turns around, "Yeah honey?"

"What did you think of Yale?"

"I think it was nice," Helen said, entering her daughters room and sitting on the bed. "Very pretty."

"Yeah it was," Joan agreed. "Could you imagine me studying there?"

"Sure I could, it's a great school, and the students all seemed really nice and normal."

"Yeah I thought so too. It's just," Joan trailed off.

"Just what?"

"It's so far from you and Dad and Luke and Kevin and everyone."

"Well honey, you have to make a decision that's right for you. You'll still see us on vacations and holidays. Besides, isn't Adam looking at college in New York? That's not too far apart."

"Yeah I thought of that."

"I think it'd do you good, personally, but it's your decision. Just, take some time to think about it," Helen suggested standing up. "Goodnight Joan."

"Night mom." Helen exited the room, closing the door behind her. Joan sunk her head in her hands.


End file.
